According to Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins, transmedia storytelling “unfolds across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole…each medium does what it does best-so that a story might be introduced in a film, expanded through television, novels, and comics” (96). After reading this definition I automatically thought about Lara Croft: Tomb Raider as an example of transmedia storytelling. Lara Croft is in multiple media platforms, such as video games, comic books, novels, movies, animation and through modeling (yes people are hired to be Lara at conventions and other events!). There have been 2 Tomb Raider movies to date and the third is being rumored to be in production and Angelina Jolie has placed Lara on the map. The movies as a medium for Lara is incredible, it provides a life like stunning image of how Lara would look in the real world. Video games as a medium in the Tomb Raider series have the record for being the highest selling video game series of all time. Lara as a video game character is even in the Guinness World Book of Records as “The Most Successful Video Game Heroine.” In the novels, they take off from where the video games end. The newest video game, Tomb Raider: Anniversary was released this summer for the PSP and is now being advertised to come out for the Wii in November as the current movie is in production. It helps to give some background for the movie. The Tomb Raider series reminds me of the Matrix series because both are in many different forms of media, very widely distributed.

I think transmedia storytelling is a great idea! I am really into having access to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in many different media outlets. I have the opportunity to keep up with Lara in different ways, I can play the game one day, watch the movie, read the book, and even see her in “person”. This is a good idea because not everyone is interested in the same forms of media and to be able to get the idea or product out there then many people have access to it. “Offering new levels of insight and experience refreshes the franchise and sustains consumer loyalty. The economic logic of a horizontally integrated entertainment industry-that is, one where single company may have roots across all the different media sectors-dictates the flow of content across media. Different media attract different market niches (96).” This is exactly what transmedia does, attracts different markets niches.

According to Jenkins, the Matrix transmedia attempt failed. I agree there was a lot of expectations for the audience to do a lot of outside hw in order to grasp what was going in the Matrix. Even though transmedia was not successful for the Matrix it is a success for Lara Croft. The Tomb Raider series is successful for a number of reasons. One being for it’s simplicity, “The old Hollywood system depended on redundancy to ensure that viewers could follow the plot at all times, even if they were distracted or went out to the lobby for a popcorn refill during a crucial scene (103-104).” This is the formula Tomb Raider follows. No matter what form of media Lara is distributed in, the story is easy to follow, she is on a mission, and the viewers are along for the adventure. As compared to the Matrix where if you watch one of the films, in order to understand it, as a viewer you would have to watch the animations, read the comic books, play the video games, etc. With Tomb Raider, what you see is what you get. A second reason for Lara’s success can be compared to Indiana Jones success, “When Indiana Jones went to television, for example, it exploited the medium’s potential for extended storytelling and character development: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992) showed the character take shape against the backdrop of various historic events and exotic environments (106).” There was potential in expanding the character development of Lara Croft and extended storytelling. She was able to take shape against other forms of mediums. Hence how Indiana Jones is still around and is currently in production of a new film. This is a perfect example showing how Tomb Raider is able to be successful. Characters in the Matrix have no room for development because they are following specific guidelines for all the different forms of mediums that have been predetermined.

http://www.tombraider.com/